(ETH) – The International Meteor Organisation (IMO) recently received more than 50 reports from British residents who witnessed what they are calling a “Once in a Lifetime” event when a fireball exploded over the British Isles according to Express.

Many of the witnesses were anticipating the launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on Saturday when instead they witnessed the fireball streaking across the sky. One man named Michael told the IMO: “I had been watching the ISS pass over and as I went to go indoors I saw the potential fireball – bigger than a normal shooting star with a visible orange fire but burnt out quickly.”

Another witness named Belinda added: “It was an awesome sight and a once in a lifetime chance.” The IMO explained that “Fireballs are meteors that appear brighter than normal and “Due to the velocity at which they strike the Earth’s atmosphere, fragments larger than one millimeter have the capability to produce a bright flash as they streak through the heavens above. “These bright meteors are what we call fireballs and they often strike fear and awe for those who witness them.”